Ungodly Chaos Book Three of the Ungodly Series

Chapter Three: Under My Skin

Bel had fought and clawed his way back to the human plane, but this was as far as he could make it. He was exhausted, but he felt it. The pulse of one of his souls nearby. Belial snarled. The soul would pay him what was due, then he could continue on to find his Emma. She had betrayed his trust, he could feel it. The anger lessened his control on his Demonic side. He knew he had to bide his time, but in the meantime, he could have a little snack. The sound of laughter drew his Demon down a dimly lit hall. He shook out his Form, letting it melt closer to his human shape. He would need it for what he had planned. Four drunk college students sat in an abandoned room the students had converted into a hangout for students to party in. Bel could feel the sharkish grin grace his face. Party would be a nice way to say it. This room was for them to drink, get high and have s*x. But that was fine, it suited his purposes.

“Whoa man, this room is for college students. Only.” One young man said, placing a hand on Bel's chest as he entered the room. Bel looked down at the kid's hand and back up at the boy with a small smile. He caressed the boy's hand and the kid frowned, suddenly confused, stumbling backwards.

“Oh come on Jazz, look at him, he's gorgeous.” A girl's voice spoke from beyond them. Bel looked behind the boy and grinned wider.

“I'm not the only one.” Belial leered. The girl sauntered towards him, and another boy caught her arm.

“Regina, don't.” He said swiftly, looking at Bel with a look of cautious apprehension as Jazz put a hand to his head and shook it dazedly. In a few seconds, the boy would collapse. Regina pulled her arm free.

“Why not? You're not putting out. You're too interested in Jess, you just won't tell her.” Regina sneered. The other girl squeaked and Bel smiled broader. Oh, this would be fun indeed. Regina placed a hand on Bel's chest and walked around him slowly. He could tell she was trying to make the other boy jealous by looking him up and down. She grabbed his ass and Belial growled. Regina growled back playfully. “I don't know, I like him.” She leaned up on Bel's arm and snapped her teeth near his face. Jazz took that moment to fall to the floor.

“Jasper!” Jess yelled, jumping from her seat, spilling her drink as she ran to his side. The other boy laughed so hard he fell over backwards on the pool table he sat on.

“Drank so much he blacked out. Oh my god!” The boy crowed. “I gotta get a picture of this!”

“You're freakin' rude Derrick!” Jess spat, cradling Jazz's head as Derrick sat up with his cell phone in hand, pulling up the camera app. Bel was there in a second.

“Oh, we don't have time for that right now.” Belial purred, stroking Derrick's cheek. The boy slumped to the side. Jess screamed and Regina backed up towards the door as if to run. And run she did, right into Bel's chest. He gave her a wolfish grin, gripping her by the upper arms, and then leaned in close to her, running his nose up her neck. “Hmm, so much s****l frustration. You will truly be a feast. Almost as much as Jess, who is possibly even worse than you, harboring all those feelings for Jasper she never would admit. What a delicious little love quadrangle you four have.” Bel brushed his lips across Regina's. Her eyes widened and she slumped in his arms. Jess screamed again, suddenly realizing she was probably in danger. She struggled to her feet and tried to run from Bel, but once again he appeared right before his prey. Jess ran face-first into him, clutching her nose with a squeak, tried to bounce off him, tripped on a rug and went down, hard. He caught her just before she hit the floor.

“Come now, we can't have you hurting yourself, now can we? You're too tasty to be damaged produce.” Bel grinned at her and she beat at him as he scooped her off the floor. “It's your turn now.” He whispered lovingly and placed his lips against her forehead. Jess went limp in his arms. He carried her over to a sofa in the room and laid her down. Sitting with her head in his lap, he let his own head drop back on the back of the sofa, running his hands through Jess' hair. He sighed in satisfaction, letting his Demon go to work, spinning up his dreams, pulling energy from them. Belial shuddered delightedly.

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Emma sat on the porch swing watching Sage race around in the grass chasing grasshoppers. Her toes brushed the wooden boards as she swung slightly, and the wind blew her dress around her legs gently. Cern thought he had never seen a more beautiful sight as he gazed on his small family. Luci, in wolf Form, yawned widely on the porch in a sunny spot and rolled over, exposing his belly to the sun. Cern grinned and strode forward purposefully, scooping up his son when Sage yelled for him and tossing him into the air, though his eyes never left Emma. When the boy wiggled and demanded to be let down, he set Sage back in the grass and tousled his hair, pacing purposefully towards Emma with a look that he knew she could feel burning into her. She blushed prettily and he took the stairs two at a time until he could pull her into his arms and kiss her hard, plunging his tongue into her mouth and knotting his hand in her hair. He pressed her waist to him with a hand at the small of her back, and he knew she could feel his arousal. Emma moaned and with a growl, Cern yanked her closer to him. The image flickered and went out.

“Concentrate Emma!” Cern's teeth were gritted against the onslaught of the Spirit.

“I'm trying! Control your lust!” She spat back and shuddered. She gripped Luci's fur tighter and felt the energy flow between them. This human soul was motivated by regret. It wanted revenge, it harbored so much pain and longing for things it felt it never got, and was now determined to take from others. The thing was, that was all fueled by the Darkness. If it hadn't been for the Darkness tainting it, it would have been fine, it would have moved to the pane it needed to. Emma ground her teeth together. There was only one way out of this that she could see. “Sorry Bel.” She murmured and reached for the Spirit. When she touched it, truly touched the core of its being, she could trace what it was, the life of it, the death of it, the love, the joy, the sorrow, the truth of its being. She closed her eyes and followed that feeling, sending it outward towards its extremities. Emma heard Cern gasp as the spirit's color brightened, but consequently the sky around them darkened. Emma panicked. She couldn't let the Darkness escape! She created a cage in her mind around it, holding it fast as she cleaned out the Spirit.

“Emma, what are you doing?” Cern yelled over the noise of the Darkness railing against its imprisonment.

“Just, trust me.” She murmured back as the last of the Spirit was cleansed of its Darkness. With a cry, Emma retracted the cage, and with it, she had no choice but to draw the Darkness along. Right within her body.

“No!” Cern yelled, leaping for her, trying to grab the cage she had created before it disappeared. He sunk his fingers between the barely visible golden wires.

“It has to go somewhere Cern.” Emma whispered.

“Then give it to me. I can take it.” Cern cried desperately.

“You can't. You are already infected, and have been dealing with the symptoms.” Emma responded sadly. Cern blanched, the look on his face showing her he hadn't realized she had noticed. “I saw. I know it is in our son too.” She couldn't stop the tears that sprang to her eyes.

“Then we share it. We share this burden and lean on each other so that it doesn't overpower one or the other.” Cern insisted. Emma stopped fighting against him and his grip on the golden cage loosened. Her head dropped and he realized he had won the argument. He stepped around the lost human soul and pulled Emma into his arms. “I would never let you battle alone. I love you Emma.” He reached behind himself and pulled the cage towards them, and with a quiver to her lips, Emma let the cage sink into both of them and the Darkness swarmed under their skin.